NPL 50th Anniversary - Top 100 Players of the NPL

Get nominating!

The online poll to choose the top 100 players and a ‘Team of all Time’ to feature in a specially commissioned book charting the Northern Premier League’s proud history since 1968 captured the public’s imagination on Friday within hours of opening and the official unveiling of a new logo promoting NPL50 celebrations over the historic 2017-18 campaign.

Entitled ‘50 Glorious Seasons - A History of the Northern Premier League 1968-2018’, the book is currently being written by official historian and statistician Dominic McKenzie and will be out within weeks of the 2017-18 season ending.

To produce a definitive history with chapters on everything from the story behind the NPL’s foundation to its greatest cup kings and star graduates, he is inviting the public to share their memories and archives with him as well as shortlisting and voting for players over the next ten weeks.

The line-up of legends are set to be named at next June’s end of season awards night in Blackpool and the EVO-STIK League’s social media manager James Heyes is urging fans of clubs past and present to get involved this weekend as the Emirates FA Cup unites the game across the country.

Heyes said: “We have had so many clubs pass through our league in the 50 years, four who are now in the Football League and others who’ve won the FA Trophy, FA Vase and even the FA Cup after Wigan’s win at Wembley so there are so many out there. There are those now representing Wales in Europe and a new generation of clubs coming through and as we reach the landmark anniversary of the Northern Premier League’s formation, we want to show the best the league has offered over five decades.

“As well as our current clubs, the likes of Bangor City, Chorley, Macclesfield, Runcorn, Fleetwood Town and more recently FC United of Manchester, Darlington and FC Halifax have all graced our divisions which just shows how much talent there is to choose from. Our call over the coming weeks is not just for the current 68 clubs to put their best forward but also for the fans of yesteryear to step up and contribute to the final list of the league’s all-time greats and best ever team.”

NPL Top 100 players nominations and voting
Dates & deadlines
The deadline for the public to nominate five players each is a minute to midnight on Friday 20 October with club nominations a week later at a minute to midnight on October 27. The online public poll of players who make the shortlist will start on Saturday 4 November and close on Sunday 17 December.
Nominations requirements and voting procedures
* To have played 50 games for any single NPL club while it was a member of the competition. This can include the League Challenge Cup, President’s Cup and Chairman’s Cup.
* Played in 100 games or more in the NPL at a number of clubs.
* An exception to the rule lowering the requirement to 30 games is allowed if a player has gone on to play in the professional game or shown exceptional standards in performance or behaviour.
* There are no restrictions to how many players can be picked from a single club.
* Players who have brought the game, league or a club into disrepute for their actions are ineligible.
* The shortlist for the public poll will be restricted to a maximum of 200 players, including 10 goalkeepers. If more than 200 players are selected, a judging panel will shortlist the choices.